The PTSD of Gun Violence in Black America

Washington, DC area high school students participate in a school walk out in protest over a lack of federal government action on gun violence, March 14, 2019 (REUTERS/Michael A. McCoy).

For many Black Americans, gun violence is a nationwide pestilence that is continually at the forefront of conversations with regards to ownership and usage but not the lasting effects of those who survive it. To be a survivor of gun violence in Black America means that you are more likely to live with the lasting effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and less likely to have the resources to combat the constant anxiety, paranoia, and fear that are forever attached to your mind and body.

According to the Pew Research Center, 57 percent of Black American adults know someone who has been shot, while 32 percent also say they or someone they know has been threatened…

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